MUSLIM PARTIES’ PROTEST DEMO Today

A massive protest demonstration, sponsored by the Muslim United Liberation Front (MULF) and participated by all major Muslim political parties and organizations, is to be held tomorrow August 11 in front of the Dematagaha Jumma Masjid near the Colombo Town Hall to condemn to condemn LTTE war crime that has left over 40,000 Muslims of Muttur and over 15,000 of Thoppur as displaced refugees while also massacring over 100 of them. At this protest demonstration to be held at 1:00 p.m. after Jumma Prayers the government's failure to protect the innocent civilians will also be condemned at this demonstration, according to a media release issued by the MULF. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress national leader Rauff Hakeem MP and representatives of the MULF, United Socialist Party, All University Muslim Students' Federation, All Ceylon Muslim League Youth Front, Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum, Sri Lanka Sharia Board, Board of Tharikkas, YMMA national Council, Friends of Free Palestine, Palestine Solidarity Movement, Kashmir Solidarity Movement and Young Lawyers' Association will join the protest demonstration.

50,000 LANGUISHING IN KANTALAI- HAKEEM TELLS PARLIAMENT

Sri Lanka Muslim Congrss (SLMC) national leader Rauff Hakeem MP,speaking in parliament on Tuesday, August 8, on the current calamity of the displaced Muslim of the war ravaged Muttur town in Trincomalee said that over 50,000 people from areas in and around Mutur have fled to Kantalai and are now languishing in a deplorable condition. He said that more refugees were pouring in from there into many areas in Kurunegala, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruxva districts. Colombo and Kandy districts too have begun to receive small numbers of these unfortunate victims of war. Thousands of unfortunate victims of the Mutur eviction are recounting their harrowing experiences at the hands of the LTTE and the deliberate unceasing artillery and mortar attacks from security forces' camps, with the objective of flushing out the LTTE, despite calls to suspend this mode of attack and, unfortunately, this had resulted in scores of people dying, he said. He said that all of us are aware that in war the first casualty is truth.

Vivid details of the atrocious and inhuman treatment meted out to the fleeing civilian population by LTTE cadres, in the vicinity of Pachchanoor on the Mutur - Kantalai road. starkly exposed the LTTE's brutality, he said. The thousands of civilians who left Mutur on an assurance by the LTTE that no harm would be caused to them if they chose to leave were subjected to such harassment and cruelty resulting in the Muslims realizing that as in instances before, the LTTE's assurances could not be taken for granted, he further said.

He stated that ever since the invasion of Mutur by the LTTE, his appeals and statements have unfortunately been the subject of critical retort by some elements in the government, adding that in some print media and websites supportive of the LTTE, including the Tamil net, his statements were taken out of context and portions of the statements have been used to give the impression that he had attributed disproportionate blame on the government forces. There, armed cadres of the LTTE separated the young and able bodied men from the women, the children and the elderly and some of the cadres were seen beating the women, the children and the elderly who chose to plead on behalf of the detained men, he said. An artillery attack which targeted this checkpoint, according to scores of eyewitnesses resulted in the death of some civilians as well as a few LTTE cadres. In the ensuing confusion many civilians managed to escape from the LTTE cadres and reach Kantalai after trekking for many hours through inhospitable terrain, he also said.

Speaking further, he said that:

" The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress as a Party that has received preponderant mandate repeatedly from the Muslims is duty bound to bring to the attention of this august assembly and place on record the grave injustice caused to the innocent civilian population of Muttur and the surrounding villages as a result of the recent military engagement between the LITE and the Government of Sri Lanka that was aimed at gaining control of territory.

" The GoSL whilst claiming that their offensive was to ensure the security of the State and the LTTE the areas under their control have continued with absolute impunity to desecrate the human security of the innocent civilian population caught up in the cross fire.

" All of us are aware that in war the first casualty is truth. Unfortunately this has resulted in scores of people dying and the constructive expulsion of Muslims caused by the LTTE's surprise attack.

" The LTTE claims that they had withdrawn their forces to pre CFA positions after having achieved the limited objective of attacking selected targets of the Sri Lankan forces From the morning of 4th August, thousands of fleeing civilians, including children, pregnant mothers and the elderly who have been subjected to virtual starvation for over forty eight hours, as a result of incessant attacks on Mutur both by the government forces and the LTTE, were forcibly diverted to Kiranthimunai, off the 64th milepost on the Mutur - Kantalai road.

" Quite paradoxically the government stated that they are resorting to a limited offensive operation on humanitarian grounds to help the farmers who were served by the Mawilaru anicut, the sluice gates of which were forcibly closed by the LTTE. Similarly the LTTE in its statement announcing the withdrawal of their forces to pre-CFA positions all over the Trincomalee district also stated that they are doing so, in consideration of the humanitarian crisis.

"On Sunday 6th, we heard of the offer by the LTTE to voluntarily open the sluice gates of Mawil Aru provided the government agrees to certain conditions.

"All the peace loving people of Sri Lanka have come to realize that both the government and the LTTE continue to make sanctimonious pronouncements supposedly with the objective of respecting the humanitarian needs of the people. In real terms their motive is to pursue a relentless military option totally disregarding the sanctity of life and limb of innocent civilians. The destruction caused to property and other economic assets of the innocent Muslim, Tamil and Sinhala people of this area is incalculable. The psychological trauma experienced by these people is going to leave an indelible impact on their psyche for years to come. The cost of the ammunition, the bombs and all the military hardware that are employed and estroyed by both sides to this conflict could have fed the affected farmers of Mawil Aru and all the other victims who have been forced to leave their homes indefinitely.

" In terms of the CFA it is the GoSL that is responsible for the protection of human security particularly in government controlled areas. The events that unfolded in the recent past reiterates the SLMC's repeated call that the CFA must be reviewed and strengthened to address the legitimate concerns of all stakeholders and every possible step taken to protect and ensure security of the civilian population at all times.

" It is also our considered view that these incidents cannot be seen in isolation but need to viewed together with the events of the recent past, including the notices that were distributed in Muttur area calling the Muslims to vacate the areas. It is also pertinent to analyse as to whether the GoSL has unwittingly been lured into a trap, where it could easily be accused of triggering the exodus of the people of Muttur or have the radical elements clamoring for war as the solution to the ethnic problem skillfully achieved their objective of pitting the Muslims against the Tamils.

" It is also our reiterated position mat as a responsible political party we are committed to finding a lasting, durable and dignified peace that would be acceptable to all communities through negotiations. It is in this backdrop that we would find it difficult to endorse indiscriminate violations of the CFA that has resulted in forced eviction of Muslims from the areas of their traditional habitation and systematic destruction of the political and economic power of the Muslims of the Northern and Eastern Provinces. "

Situation Report - Sri Lanka

Troops feared dead as S.Lanka ammo dump explodes

TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Many troops battling Tamil Tiger rebels in east Sri Lanka were feared dead or wounded on Thursday after an ammunition dump at an army camp apparently accidentally exploded, military sources said.

"We fired artillery all day. Maybe one of the guns overheated and accidentally blew up," said one source. "The dump exploded. We expect lots of casualties and deaths."

Reuters correspondents in the eastern town of Trincomalee heard sustained explosions coming from the camp about 30 km (20 miles) away, which lit up the night sky on the horizon.

The army said the explosion appeared to be accidental, but had no details on the damage caused. Hospital officials at the nearby government-held town of Kantale sent four ambulances to the area as a precaution.

Heavy clashes erupt at Mavil Aru

Heavy fighting was reported between Sri Lanka's security forces and Tamil Tiger rebels early morning today (10), after Tiger cadres attempted to fire showers of mortars at troops facilitating the supply of water through the Mavil Aru Anicut, which was reopened only yesterday.

Troops retaliated with mortars. Security Forces suffered few injuries and the wounded were evacuated to Kantale hospital immediately. 'Operation Water shed' continues, the Media Centre for National Security said. No immediate details were available of the LTTE casualties

Minority Rights Group International demands Government and LTTE to make a greater commitment to safeguard minority rights

Sri Lanka's minorities, including its near two million Muslims, have been the worst affected in the recent surge in violence and both the Government of Sri Lanka and Tamil Tiger rebels must make a greater commitment to safeguard minority rights and provide equal access to humanitarian assistance, Minority Rights Group said today.

The London based human rights organisation calls on both the Government of Sri Lanka and Tamil Tiger rebels to urgently stop fighting, strictly observe the cease-fire and ensure the protection of minorities in their areas of control.

"The area where recent fighting has broken out is predominantly Muslim and Tamil and we are concerned at the risk to life, security and property that these minority communities face," says Clive Baldwin, Head of International Advocacy at MRG.

"In most conflicts there are always the forgotten minorities. The most vulnerable at present are probably the Muslims," Baldwin adds.

Muslims form 8 percent of the near 20 million population of Sri Lanka and are the majority community in the town of Muttur, which has been at the centre of recent fighting. Following the attacks Muslims have had to flee to predominantly Sinhalese villages and are being housed in schools and other temporary shelters, with limited facilities. The Sri Lankan Tamils who form the largest minority and are also part of the population of Muttur have reportedly fled to areas under Tamil Tiger control. Several thousand Muslims and Tamils remain trapped in areas where fighting continues.

"The specific needs of the Muslims and Tamils must be taken into consideration. Minority women in camps are likely to be in a particularly vulnerable situation." Baldwin says.

As international agencies warn of a humanitarian crisis, MRG is particularly concerned about the situation of displaced people and the impediments to aid agencies operating in the area.

"In situations of conflict minority communities are often the last to be given access to aid and we hope this will not be the case in Sri Lanka," Baldwin adds.

MRG calls on both the government and Tamil rebels to give international and local aid agencies unimpeded access to the affected areas. The aim should be to facilitate the free return, in safety, of minority communities to their homes as quickly as possible.

MRG also urges the government and LTTE to return to the negotiating process in order to find a permanent solution to the country's conflict. The group says it is critical that when peace talks resume all communities are represented in the process.

Heavy fighting breaks out in Sri Lanka , more than 50 civilians dead, rebels say

The Sri Lankan military attacked Tamil Tiger rebels from land and air Thursday and the rebels retaliated in heavy fighting that killed at least 13 combatants, officials said. A Nordic cease-fire monitor warned the situation was worsening.

A senior rebel official, Seevarathnam Puleedevan, said at least 50 civilians had been killed and 200 injured in the government military operation, but a military spokesman said he was unaware of any civilian casualties.

Puleedevan appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross to help evacuate civilian casualties, saying there weren't enough facilities locally available there to treat them. But ICRC official Davide Vignati said the organization had yet to receive an official request from either side.

At least six government soldiers were killed and 49 wounded and admitted to hospital, a doctor said. A Tiger spokesman, Rasiah Ilanthirayan, said seven rebels had died and 15 others were wounded.

``It is a warlike situation, our forces are retaliating with artillery fire and direct gun fire,'' Ilanthirayan said.

``The situation is worsening,'' said Robert Nilsson, a member of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission. ``Hopefully there will be a change of heart, this has already gone too far.''

The fighting centered around a key reservoir and canal in Trincomalee district, which in recent weeks has seen some of the worst fighting since the country's 2002 cease-fire, with estimates of the number of combatants and civilians killed ranging from about 100 to 300.

Dr. B.G.M. Costa, a hospital doctor in Kantale, a town in the area, said the bodies of five soldiers had been brought in and 35 others were wounded. Two with critical injuries were flown to Colombo.

Military spokesman Maj. Upali Rajapakse said he was not aware of any civilian casualties, but said the rebels were ``known for using civilians as human shields and they place their gun positions around civilian villages.''

``The Sri Lankan army does not target civilians,'' he said.

The rebels closed sluice gates at the reservoir on July 20, cutting water to over 60,000 people living in government-controlled villages, after accusing the government of reneging on a pledge to boost water in rebel-held areas.

The rebels announced on Tuesday that they were reopening the gates, saying that heavy attacks on rebel areas by army troops were hurting civilians, and the military said Wednesday that it had reclaimed control of the waterway.

But the government resumed shelling the area around the reservoir the same day, saying it needed to clear the area of rebels so they would not be able to block the water supply again.

``From dawn today, the Sri Lankan army has launched a full-fledged offensive operation against our territories involving thousands of troops, heavy guns and bombardment,'' rebel spokesman Ilanthirayan said.

The Tamil Tigers began fighting in 1983 for a separate homeland for the country's 3.2 million Tamils, accusing the 14 million Sinhalese majority of discrimination.

The 2002 cease-fire put a temporary halt to the bloodshed, but the truce has nearly collapsed in recent months. Renewed fighting has killed more than 900 people _ half of them civilians _ since December, the cease-fire monitors say.

____ Associated Press writer Dilip Ganguly in Colombo contributed to this report.